The Indianapolis journal., 1887-12-29
SOMEYERY STRANGE THINGS
Information from Indiana Scientists
About Matters of Great Interest.
What Erosion Has Produced in Indiana-Pro
fessor Coulter's Address on Evolution in
the Plant Kingdom" Last Evening.

and a somewhat limited programme at its
uual meeting, into organization wherein two
hundred or moro amateur professional scien-
lists Of the State find ready interchange OF
ideas concerning every branch of scientific in
vestgation and knowledge. While many of the
papers presented possess, in the main, a techni-
cal interest, there is generous outcroppiDe OF
popular thought that makes the sessions profit
able to the unscientifc listener. Hence, the
meetings. year after year, increase in attend
ance es it becomes more widely known that the
professors and students do not confine them
selves to phrases unintelieble TO the average
audience. They are apt in illustration and if
thought is somewhat misty. the black
board and piece of chalk make 1t
clear and impressive At times topic particu-
larly interesting and conflicting with other
views leads to a sharp, but good -humored intel
lectdal contest There are many good
things to be said and so many to say them that
the art of condensation is strictly followed. A
paper thirty minutes long is something out of
the usual order, while the topics generally re-
quire only FIVE ten minutes in their presenta-
tior and what is called discussion is confined to
questions and answers Another feature is
that the members use as little time as possible
in the dull details of business. Yesterday,
with Prof. j. NJ Coulter, of Wabash College,
presiding and Prof. A. W. Butler of Brookville,
secretary. the academy in five minutes after
sem bling was ready for the papers, All it did
of miscellaneous character was to adopt
olution inviting the Ameri can Association for
the Advancement of Science to meet here in
1889 or $780, A committee to confer with
others looking TO the same object was appointed.
It consists of DR.. T. c. Mendenhall, of Rose
Polvt echnic Institute; Professors j. G. Arthur.
- --l, 1nhv
wood. of the State University; p. S. Baker, of
DePauw; H. W. Wiley and j. NJ. Coulter of
Wabash College.
After approving the report of the treasurer,
o. 2. Jenkins, of De Pauw, the subject of '"The
East and West Diameter of the Siurian Island
About Cincinnati" presented in a five minutes
paper by D. W. Dennis. of Earlham College,
was discussed. c. W. Dryer. read one ''The
Kames of Allen County Indiana" and after
Haute, on Erosion in Indiana" He said that
in some way not satisfactorily explained por-
fions of the earth's surface are raised above the
oceans level as low sweils, broad plateaus. or
massive mountain systems These elevations
under the action OF air and water. sunshine and
frost, plants and amin ais are slowly taken down
and carried back to the bed of the The de-
grading forces work with varying intensity in
different parts of the earth. In Arctic and
Alpine regions they are more active than
in torrid regions. and Eerosion in regions
of abundant rainfall is very different from
erosion in dry regions. In most cases water aids
and carries away the products of erosion. Indi-
ana mas Deen subject TO the Oenu0lDg FORCES
siEce the close CT the carboniferous period.
Fully one-third of the of Vieo county is
cupied by the old channels OF ancient river
aud it's tributaries, that have been partially filled
with sand and gravel Such old channels ara
common throughout the State. Sometimes they
easily recognized by recent rivers occupying
them. but, again, full of sand and clay, they
revealed only by accident. as in railroad cuttings
and in digging wells. Coal miners often drift
through sand bars when on the surface there is
no appearance of sand or valley. Many lakes
n nh
stopped at either end by banks OF sand
clay dropped by the retreating ice.
Again, water loving vegetation has spread out
over these lakes and underground lakes
produced, which, by the engineer corps, are
known as sink-holes. In locating a railway
through central Michigan, the engineers used
soundingrods, and often they were forced down
from 80 to 125 feet. There are many such pl ac-
es in northern Indiana. This State and adj Join
ing territory seem covered by a system of old
drainage channels, corresponding in general
with the present system, but wider and deeper,
as if formed by larger and more rapid streams
than those at the present time. These ancient
streams had for their outlet ancient river,
whose channel broad and deep, the ambitious
Ohio, when in flood. cannot fill. This river
fowine westerly has its northern and southern
slopes. Over portion OF the former there
q glacier, or ice sheet; on the southern, none.
If the glacier had furnished water
enough to cut channels they would have formed
an inverted delta Such systems do not appear.
It is not probable that either of the great lakes
was drained for any considerable time through
material in Indiana is about fifty feet. Most
of the powders and pebbles in this drift
from the Lake Superior region These indicate,
with the limestone that came from beyond the
borders of ths State, and clay of foreign origin.
that less than five feet of the drift material is of
Indiana origin. Erosion in this State must have
been thousands of feet, done by atmospheric
and aqueous agencies mainly, the glacier hav-
ing but little to do with the matter. Mr.. Scovell
creek once directly. without angle,
into the Wabash. The digging of wells at Lou
isville revealed an old channel at the Ohio river
falls, and similar circumstances seem to account
for the falls a branch of Eel river, near Cat
sract. in Owen county.
Other papers under the head Of geology and
geography were read by d. A. Owen on "a Geo.
] ogical Section Of Johnson County" and d. w.
Dennis 1.-The Transition of Orthis Occiden-
tails" o. p. Hay, OF Butler University, present
ed some notes on fossil bones found in Indiana.
and o. P. Jenkins and W. v. Brown talked
about the location of Eel River falls J. c.
Branner. of Bloomington gave sketch of geol-
derings Of the Arkansas river Two papers Of
technical interest only, but showing wide results
in experiments, wereEread by J. ". Nef of
Purdue. One of them. ''Chloranil," referred to
a new explosive with which he is experiment |
ing It is said that in its perfection it will place
dynamite far down the list as one of the
dangerous compounds w. A. Noyes's paper was |
on beta Para Nitrotoluic Acid"
In the afternoon the subjects relating to phys |
les and mathematics wore treated. the first |
der this referring to "The Reversal of the Elec- |
tric Current in the Holtz Induction Machine" |
1t was Prof. J. Z Campbell's topic, while Prof. !
C. A. Waldo took up the Problem of Earth |
quake Center" He showed that with five seis- |
moscope stations the exact position of the origin
Of the earthquake could be quite definitely as |
certained. Assuming uniform propagation OF |
the wave, and exact observation of the times of |
arrival. he said that the problem is fully solved |
IS q rigorous mathematical problem. From four |
stations acting in conjunction a good practical
solution is possible. With three stations, it
would be necessary to assume the ascer-
tanned in the Charleston earthquake at about
three miles per second. With two stations an
approximate line for the position of the /
.enter 10 known. With station fact
and time of the earthquake is recorded. He |
gave a graphical solution of the problem which
ncloses the real center OF the disturbance in
" hat might be called quadrilateral of error.
BY this means any one with perfect ease could
ind the approximate center with dividers and
rule.
In the geological classification of subjects B.
w. Everman. of the State Normal School, |